Giant’s first foray into professional road cycling was with the defunct Spanish Team ONCE directed by Manolo Saiz using Giant TCR frames in custom sizes for each individual rider. Laurent Jalabert was one of the most notable cyclists in the ONCE Team. Ignaz Schwinn was born in Hardheim, Baden, Germany, in 1860 and worked on two-wheeled ancestors of the modern bicycle that appeared in 19th century Europe. In 1895, with the financial backing of fellow German American Adolph Frederick William Arnold (a meat packer), he founded Arnold, Schwinn & Company. Schwinn’s new company coincided with a sudden bicycle craze in America.
In reality, mass-market French manufacturers such as Peugeot were not infrequently criticized for material and assembly quality — as well as stagnant technology — in their low- and mid-level product lines. Nevertheless, Peugeot proudly advertised its victorious mongoose excursion racing heritage at every opportunity. By 1979, even the Paramount had been passed, technologically speaking, by a new generation of American as well as foreign custom bicycle manufacturers. Go exploring with the High Timber ALX Mountain Bike by Schwinn.
This isn’t the place to go if you need a bike immediately, but if you’re patient and watch the listings carefully, you may just find the vintage bike of your dreams.
This bike features Schwinn aluminum MTB frame with Schwinn suspension fork for all around fun out on the trail. The 21-speed trigger shifters provide easy gear changes, while Schwinn alloy cranks and 7-speed freewheel offer the right gear at all times. And you can ride with confidence thanks to the front and rear mechanical disc brakes that deliver extra stopping power.
Frames came in three sizes (small, medium, and large), with riders fitted through the use of stems and seat posts of different lengths. By 2018, Giant road frames were available in up to six sizes (X-Small, Small, Medium, Medium/Large, Large and X-Large). Schwinn followed the Scrambler line with the Predator in 1982,[38] their next step into the competitive modern BMX market. Schwinn had a very successful BMX factory supported racing team (beginning in 1976) made up of some of the best riders of the day. For more than a century, the name Schwinn has represented a leader in the bicycle industry. The company began in 1895 when partners Ignaz Schwinn and Adolph Arnold founded their corporation Arnold, Schwinn & Company.
You can browse their selection online, and they also offer a great deal of helpful information about assessing a bike’s condition. Before they are sold, all the bikes are tuned up by professional bicycle mechanics. Ignaz bet heavily on the stock market and lost almost everything when the market crashed in 1929.
While the Paramount still sold in limited numbers to this market, the model’s customer base began to age, changing from primarily bike racers to older, wealthier riders looking for the ultimate bicycle. Schwinn sold an impressive 1.5 million bicycles in 1974, but would pay the price for failing to keep up with new developments in bicycle technology and buying trends. Schwinn was soon sponsoring a bicycle racing team headed by Emil Wastyn, who designed the team bikes, and the company competed in six-day racing across the United States with riders such as Jerry Rodman and Russell Allen. In 1938, Frank W. Schwinn officially introduced the Paramount series. Developed from experiences gained in racing, Schwinn established Paramount as their answer to high-end, professional competition bicycles.
One of the best ways identify an old Schwinn bike is to compare the bike you have to advertising images and photographs of other Schwinns. This can give you some clues about the model, the year it was made, and any options it may have. FRANK SCHWINN was a compulsive designer and draftsman, sketching ideas whenever they came to him.
The more you know about the bike and its condition, the better your estimate of its value will be. Most Schwinn bikes will feature a head badge or plate that identifies them as a Schwinn. This badge varied in style, depending on the style of bike and the year it was made.